Morrison joined the BBC in 1990, first working in local radio and later becoming a continuity announcer and newsreader on Radio 4.

The station's controller Gwyneth Williams said he was respected for his "intelligence, integrity and complete professionalism".

"As a continuity announcer and a newsreader, he was admired for the warmth of his voice, his clarity and his perfect timing," she added.

"He was loved by all who knew him. We offer our deep sympathy to his family in their loss."

During his time at the BBC, Morrison presented an afternoon show at BBC Radio Leeds and worked at BBC Radio York and BBC Radio Cleveland.

After leaving local radio, he worked for the British Forces Broadcasting Service before joining Radio 4 as a continuity announcer.

From working on the BBC's From Our Own Correspondent programme to spending New Years Eve 1999 on stand-by in case the millennium bug threatened the corporation's broadcasting, Morrison reported and presented a wide range of output.

He eventually joined the newsreading team, earning praise for a voice described as "mellifluous" by former The World Tonight presenter Robin Lustig.

In 2004 he was diagnosed with a rare type of lymphoma. Morrison is survived by his two children and his wife, the BBC journalist Nikki Jenkins.